-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Ray Rice 's original punishment for knocking out his then-fiancee inside the elevator of an Atlantic City casino was controversial , but appeared a done deal : a two-game suspension .

Then , this week , TMZ Sports released footage of surveillance video from inside the elevator that shows the altercation and the knock-out punch .

Suddenly things changed . The Baltimore Ravens fired Rice . The NFL suspended him indefinitely .

The facts never changed -- Rice knocked Janay Palmer -LRB- now Janay Rice -RRB- unconscious . But the latest video moved the needle in a way that previous coverage had n't . It has brought back to the forefront some key questions about the incident :

What did the NFL know , and when ?

The video is shocking and damning .

It shows Rice and Palmer inside the elevator , where he punches her , and she lunges at the football player . Rice hits his fiancee again , and she falls to the floor .

The Ravens had stood by Rice throughout the fallout , and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did not alter the two-game suspension , even after admitting he made a mistake . Both the league and the team changed their tune swiftly after this video was released .

To the disbelief of many , the NFL said it had not seen the surveillance footage of inside the elevator until TMZ Sports posted it on the internet .

`` We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident , including any video that may exist , '' NFL Vice President of Corporate Communications Brian McCarthy , said , specifically citing New Jersey State Police , Atlantic City police and Atlantic County prosecutor 's office as places where the NFL inquired .

`` That video was not made available to us and no one in our office saw it until -LRB- Monday -RRB- , '' he said in a statement .

Revel Entertainment Group , which owns the casino where the incident happened , said it gave copies of the video to Atlantic City police , the prosecutor 's office , the Division of Gaming Enforcement and Rice 's attorney .

The company said it could not confirm if the NFL reached out to the casino directly to ask for the surveillance tape .

The prosecutor 's office and Atlantic City Police Department did not immediately respond to CNN inquiries about the evidence they had , or any requests from the NFL .

NFL chief Goodell faces intense criticism after Rice video

Will Rice go to jail ?

After the incident , both Rice and Palmer were arrested and charged with simple assault .

In March , a grand jury indicted Rice on the more serious charge of aggravated assault , a felony that could bring 3-5 years in jail if convicted . The next day , he and Palmer were married .

While the casino said that prosecutors were given the video of inside the elevator , prosecutors have not confirmed whether it was shown to the grand jury .

Rice pleaded not guilty , and the next step would have been a criminal trial . But instead , Rice was accepted into a pretrial intervention program for first-time offenders that could clear him of the charges if he successfully completes the requirements .

`` This decision was arrived at after careful consideration of the information contained in Mr. Rice 's application in light of all of the facts gathered during the investigation , '' acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain told local media at the time . `` After considering all relevant information in light of applicable law , it was determined that this was the appropriate disposition . ''

The elevator video has renewed outrage , but the court says the prosecutor can not reconsider or ask the judge to revoke the deal with Rice unless he commits a new crime or does n't follow along in the program .

`` There 's really no appeal that 's available at this point , '' CNN Legal Analyst Paul Callan said . `` The prosecutor accepted and the judge accepted pretrial intervention . ''

It is rare to offer pretrial intervention in domestic violence cases , Callan said , but in Atlantic City -- with an elevated homicide rate -- this incident probably was not as big a priority .

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How has the narrative changed ?

The story itself has n't changed . The fact that Rice struck and knocked out his fiancee was undisputed from the beginning . So why all the outrage now ?

The bad taste in many people 's mouths comes from the way the incident has been described to the public by the parties involved .

As more details emerged , culminating with the elevator video , the louder the accusations of an attempted coverup have become .

immediately after the incident , Rice 's attorney described the situation at the time as `` a very minor physical altercation . ''

After those statements , an initial video was released by TMZ , which showed the outside of the elevator , and the unconscious body of Palmer .

When the grand jury decided to indict Rice on the more serious felony charge , Rice 's attorney , Michael Diamondstein , had this to say as he entered a not-guilty plea : `` I ca n't try the case in the media . There 's a significant set of facts that the public does n't know about yet . As soon as those facts come to light , we believe the public will have a different opinion . ''

Palmer 's lawyer also downplayed the incident .

`` No party committed any crime , '' Palmer 's lawyer , Robert Gamburg , told CNN at the time .

`` This is part of the due process for Ray , '' Baltimore Ravens Director of Media Relations Chad Steele said Thursday of the indictment . `` We know there is more to Ray Rice than this one incident . ''

With the release of the latest video , many in the public certainly expressed a new opinion , but hardly in favor of Rice .

Ray Rice video prompts stories of #WhyIStayed , #WhyILeft

What will become of the Rices ?

The couple is standing by each other .

Janay Rice on Tuesday expressed outrage , too . Not at her husband , but at everyone making a big deal of her ordeal .

`` No one knows the pain that the media & unwanted options from the public has caused my family , '' Janay Rice wrote in an online post . `` To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret every day is a horrible thing . ''

According to Janay Rice , waking up after her husband was cut from his team and suspended from the NFL was a nightmare .

`` THIS IS OUR LIFE ! What do n't you all get , '' Janay Rice wrote . `` If your intentions were to hurt us , embarrass us , make us feel alone , take all happiness away , you 've succeeded on so many levels . Just know we will continue to grow & show the world what real love is ! ''

Ray Rice told CNN 's Rachel Nichols , in a text message , that `` I 'm just holding strong for my wife and kid that 's all I can do right now . ''

Ray Rice 's wife slams his punishment for violence against her

CNN 's Shimon Prokupecz , Jill Martin , Miguel Marquez , Ashley Fantz and jennifer Bernstein contributed to this report .

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The newly released video revives questions about Ray Rice

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The NFL says it never saw the elevator video until this week

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The court says the deal Rice struck with prosecutors ca n't be changed

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Ray and Janay Rice continue to stand by each other